Skip to main content

Questions tagged [receptacle]

A contact device installed at the outlet for the connection of an attachment plug.

54 votes
5 answers
218k views

How can I fix electrical outlets that don't "hold" plugs that are plugged in to them?

In short, most of the outlets in my house have one working receptacle and one that any cord plugged in will immediately slip out of. Some of my outlets don't have any working receptacles (I hope I'm ...
Chris Sobolewski's user avatar
47 votes
7 answers
285k views

Why does this receptacle have the ground tied to the neutral?

I was replacing some outlets in my house with tamper-resistant ones, and came across one where the white and ground were wired together, as seen in this picture. Why? Is that okay or appropriate ...
Scott Stafford's user avatar
30 votes
1 answer
3k views

Four outlet / Four USB charging station stuck in outlet

We have a "charging station" that has four USB ports on front and four regular outlets, two on each side, that was plugged into a bathroom outlet. Now I am trying to remove it, but it seems ...
Michael's user avatar
  • 997
29 votes
1 answer
5k views

Why is there only one receptacle in this outlet?

This looks like an outlet with only one receptacle, but why? It's mounted about 7' up, in a basement-level room in a school building. It is stamped 15A/125V, but I've never seen something like this ...
nuggethead's user avatar
  • 1,471
29 votes
3 answers
8k views

Unused outlets get warm when others under load

When we run moderately high power devices (around 8-9 amps, e.g. vacuum cleaner, portable AC, small space heater), the other unused outlets on the same circuit get warm/hot after 15-30 minutes. The ...
iondune's user avatar
  • 393
28 votes
20 answers
194k views

When wiring outlets should I use pigtails or both sets of outlet screws?

I'm replacing the outlets in our house and pulled out one that had two black and two white cables. My first thought was that it was two circuits, one of them being switched, but then realized the tab ...
DA01's user avatar
  • 24.4k
28 votes
3 answers
8k views

Now I realize I used too many GFCI outlets. How can I reclaim them?

Yeah, so the building inspector redflagged a bunch of outlets for not being GFCI. Before I understood how the LOAD terminals work, I just replaced every single one with a GFCI outlet. Most had a ...
Harper - Reinstate Monica's user avatar
27 votes
4 answers
9k views

Why don't electrical receptacles have more than one ground?

All modern receptacles have places for additional hot/neutral wires so you can add more outlets in series, but they all have a single screw or hole for the ground wire. Why don't they have two ground ...
cds333's user avatar
  • 393
26 votes
3 answers
9k views

Do I really need to include a wall switched lighting outlet in every room?

According to the Black & Decker Wiring book, the NEC indicates that each room should include at least one "switch-operated lighting outlet". Is that true even in rooms that have overhead ...
Trevor's user avatar
  • 785
25 votes
3 answers
9k views

Why do single electrical receptacles exist?

Given that the following are true. They are the same size. They take the same amount of work to install. Doubles are twice as useful. Double adapters are a thing. Why do single electrical ...
Spike's user avatar
  • 669
24 votes
4 answers
365k views

How do I properly wire GFCI outlets in parallel?

I have two countertop outlets in my kitchen that I am in the process of replacing with new, GFCI-protected outlets. These two outlets are on a circuit together, and they are the only loads on that ...
Drew Spickes's user avatar
24 votes
8 answers
424k views

What's the standard height for an outlet?

I am installing outlets in my patio room. What is the standard height recommended above the ground for these to be installed?
KingKongFrog's user avatar
23 votes
4 answers
11k views

Is my repair to this plug safe?

The red copper wire was burned so I took out the burnt part of the wire and reinserted all the wires by myself.
Nilamber's user avatar
  • 233
23 votes
5 answers
113k views

What types of electrical outlets are found in a typical home in the USA?

I do not live in the USA. If I were to buy a home in the USA, what are the key facts I should know about USA household electrical supply at outlets in homes? E.g. when buying a clothes dryer or other ...
RedGrittyBrick's user avatar
23 votes
3 answers
3k views

First time changing switches and outlets (receptacles). Anything special I should know?

I am replacing a bunch of switches and receptacles in my house. While I understand the basics, this is pretty much my first electrical project, and I figure there must be some hidden "gotchas" or ...
Harper - Reinstate Monica's user avatar

15 30 50 per page
1
2 3 4 5
128